Because You're Worth Living For
by fadedSorrow
Summary: Set in a modern context. Clare meets Teresa in middle school and both of them find each other familiar...Can they find comfort in each other? What secrets do Teresa hold? ClarexTeresa sisterly love
1. Chapter 1

First attempt at fanfiction. enjoy (:

Disclaimer: I don't own Claymore

* * *

><p>It was this scene again.<p>

The girl's vision was always blurry and hazy, but everything else felt so realistic, as if she was really on that hill, peering at the two figures in the distance, with one hand on the boulder she was hiding behind. She could vaguely discern a figure with long hair standing back facing her, a long sword in her hand. And there was another…creature? Whatever it was, it appeared to be kneeling on the ground. Then everything happened. The girl saw the arms of the one standing fall, and with a flash of a blade her head flew off, flying a few metres in the air.

Pain. Sorrow. Help. The girl felt as if her life was sucked out of her as she stood helplessly, watching the dead person's body slide lifelessly to the ground. She did not even know who the person was, but her heart ached, her limbs felt numb, and devastation overwhelmed her. As hot tears stung her eyes, she reached out with her hand, wanting to cry and scream out the name of the one person she loved more than anyone else in the world…

Clare's eyes shot open, only to be greeted by the white ceiling.

_Dream, it was just a dream…_

Calming herself down, she turned her head towards the right. The alarm clock read 7.00am. Heaving a big sigh of relief, she turned her head back towards the ceiling, trying once again to figure out what the dream was all about. This particular lucid dream had been recurring for the past two weeks, each time getting more vivid, leaving a deep impression in her memory. If the dream lasted any longer, she might have drowned in the sorrow that felt so real.

Composing herself, she got out of her futon and headed towards the washroom, stealing a quick glance at the photo on her study desk.

It was a photo of an elderly couple smiling benignly, with young Clare in the middle, her smile so subtle it was hardly noticeable.

_Grandpa…grandma…_

The couple was Clare's grandparents whom had been taking care of her for as far as she could remember. She never knew her parents, and never questioned about them either, thinking that perhaps Grandpa Seth and Grandma Erika would reveal everything to her in due time. However, a car accident snatched them away, together with half of Clare's soul. She had been an introvert to begin with, never expressing much emotion even in front of her grandparents, but that incident closed her heart to the world.

All that was left of Clare was the cold, empty apartment, with many sweet memories, only to feel bitter when the harsh reality sets in. She had to survive in this world alone, pay the school fees and earn enough money to keep herself alive at the same time. When he was still alive, Grandpa Seth struggled to make ends meet by selling newspapers on the streets, so he did not have much fortune to leave for Clare either.

After washing up, Clare returned to her room and slipped on the white blouse and sky blue uniform of Blue Glory Middle High School. She observed her reflection in the wall mirror and could not help but notice how her pale green eyes and short orange hair did not match well with the uniform.

_Well, not that it matters anyway._

Pinning the blue Year One badge on the right collar, she straightened her blouse and ensured that everything was in order before heading towards the kitchen to pack her lunch box, consisting of two slices of bread with butter. After that she filled up the clear blue bottle with the school logo on it. Taking both items back to her room, she stuffed them into her brown briefcase-like bag. She turned to read the time on her alarm clock. 7.25a.m. Retrieving a pair of socks from the closet, she slowly put them on, took her bag and went to the entrance. She was ready to set off to school. Slipping on her shoes, she snatched the keys from the key holder and got out of the house. Then she took the stairs that led to the first floor.

Blue Glory Middle High School was a mere five-minute walk from her house, which was one of the reasons why she chose to enroll there. She could not afford to waste money on transport. The morning was filled with blaring honks and the ever-present heavy traffic on the roads. After turning left from the stairs, she took another left turn, and the school was already almost in sight at the far right corner.

Before she knew it, she was at the gate of the school, with many other students pouring in from all directions. The school compound was simple: A main building, an extension just beside it, an assembly area on the left and a track on the right.

Clare managed to locate her classroom without any difficulty, having been given instructions via post from the school beforehand. Year One classrooms were on the second floor of the main building, and she headed towards the one with the sign "1-2" and stepped inside the classroom without stopping. There were already a few students in class but none of them seemed to pay her any attention. Almost immediately she chose the seat at the left extreme corner at the back of the classroom just beside window and settled there. The wall clock read 7.35a.m., which was ten minutes earlier than the stipulated reporting time.

It was the first day of school, yet Clare felt no excitement, no anticipation and no expectations. With her elbow on the desk, she propped her head up and gazed outside the window across the red track. It was empty, just like what she felt…

Soon, the class was completely filled and the homeroom teacher entered to welcome them and brief them about general information about the school. Apparently they were going to have a series of orientation games and then a few lessons after lunch. Not that Clare was interested in anything anyway.

After the orientation activities, it was finally time for lunch. By that time, almost everyone had gotten acquainted to someone…except for Clare. She hardly participated in anything.

"Gosh that was so damn awesome…did you see how I whacked that guy before he could squeal a name during whacko! And also the slam dunk during the basketball match! Orientation games totally rock with Helen in the house!"

"Yeah and you just became infamous as the crazy girl on your first day of school. I am wondering if I should applaud you."

"Whatever Deneve, you're just jealous!"

"As if I would ever be jealous of you. And I see your love for apples stays with you, just like your insanity."

"Jealous Deneve, jealous!"

Clare could hardly _not_ notice the presence of the student sitting on her right, Deneve, and the one sitting in front of Deneve, Helen. Then she heard an exasperated sigh from the student with long spiky hair sitting in front of her.

"It seems that both of you have hardly changed since Elementary school…"

"Hah Miria, jealous of our eternal sisterly love?"

"I wonder who's the one you have "eternal sisterly love" with, definitely not me."

"Don't you try and wiggle your way out of this Deneve! Don't you remember the time…"

That was beyond the threshold of nonsense for Clare. She was just about to grab her lunchbox and proceed to a quieter location when the one called Miria suddenly turned around to face her, a confident smile on her face.

"Hello there, I believe we have not introduced ourselves. My name is Miria, nice to meet you."

Clare was stunned momentarily that someone actually talked to her voluntarily. It took a few seconds for her to process her thoughts, but she did not reply.

"I'm Helen! And this weird-looking girl behind me is Deneve!"

"And look who's talking, the weirdest of them all."

"Oh yeah Deneve? You want to fight it out with arm wrestling?"

"You just presented the proof of your own weirdness. How does arm wrestling relate to this?"

"Whatever! Let's just do this!"

Miria visibly suppressed the urge to smack her own forehead and flashed another composed smile to Clare.

"So, what's your name?"

Three pairs of eyes laid on her, waiting for an answer.

"I'm…Clare."

"I'm sure we'll get along well, Clare."

Clare was skeptical about Miria's words.

* * *

><p>Pretty boring for a first chapter, because the main point of this chapter is to introduce Clare's background in this modern context. Critics and comments are appreciated. Sorry if it was boring! Currently a die-hard fan of ClarexTeresa sisterly love so...hopefully the plot goes well ^^ Thanks for reading!<p> 


	2. Chapter 2

Big thanks for the support! Really appreciate it (:

Disclaimer: I don't own Claymore

* * *

><p>"Good morning to the second day of school! Totally looking forward to what's installed for us today!"<p>

Clare looked up from staring at her table when she heard her three classmates arrive. As expected, Helen had broken the peace of the morning.

"By the way Deneve, is it just me or do the students in our school look older than their age? I've seen a Year Two who looks at least nineteen! And even in our class, some of them look like Year Threes!"

"Seriously Helen, do you ever pay attention to what Miria says?"

Helen pouted. "I do, I really do! Oh come on Deneve tell me tell me!"

A cough from Miria caught their attention. She crossed her arms.

"As I have said previously, this school is well-known as the 'Transfer School'. The first reason is that students transfer in and out of the school the whole year-round. So our current classmates might disappear one day and we might get new ones the next day. The second reason is…"

Hesitating slightly, she continued.

"The second reason is that the school accepts students whom, for whatever reasons, are older than the level they are applying for. For example, they might have served time in boys or girls home due to criminal offences or they might have failed a grade and retained. Therefore, it can be said that the age group of students in this school ranges roughly from thirteen to twenty years old."

"Most likely, these 'special' students have to pay higher school fees to enter the school. Nonetheless, this does not change the fact that the Principal is willing to get 'bribed' to allow the students to enroll. However, since a large number of students probably fall under this category, I guess it just becomes normal for the school."

The three who were listening intently were in awe and shock at the information.

"How did you get to know all of these! That makes the school a whole lot more interesting, don't you think so!" Helen grinned.

"I…have my sources."

No sooner did Miria mumbled that, a loud bang was heard at the entrance of the classroom. The four of them turned their heads in that direction quickly enough to witness a male student flung against the door, his face twisted with agony. Two gangster-like boys towered over him.

"So…are you paying up or not, boy?"

"Where's the defiant look you gave just now? Aww look, the poor boy is gonna cry."

The two bullies sniggered and one of them lashed out to grab the collar of the terrified victim. In the classroom, everyone was whispering to one another, but no one was willing to step forward to help. Clare's conscience tugged at her and urged her to react, but she was less than eager to go up against bullies and stand out like a sore thumb. Miria, on the other hand, was just about to react when a voice echoed in the classroom.

"Stop that!"

A boy with short spiky hair from their class who sat at the front row stood up abruptly, shouting at the bullies. The two of them turned and stared at the student who _dared_ to defy them. A smirk crept up the lips of one of the bullies and he shuffled into the classroom. Three badges glinted on his right collar-A blue, orange and green one each. A Year Three! The boy stood his ground bravely.

"Hey, what are you boys doing!"

The familiar voice of their homeroom teacher filled the corridor. The bully that entered the classroom sulked and spat.

"You better watch out, kid."

Then he spun round and ran, beckoning his partner to escape together, and then they were gone.

The boy who stood up against the bullies hurried over to the injured boy to help.

"Woah…That guy is pretty tough don't you think? If I'm not wrong I think he's called…Raki."

"Well, he sure has captured the hearts of the girls in class now. Why Helen, don't tell me you're interested in him?"

"No! Hell no! But he _is_ quite cute don't you think so!"

While Helen and Deneve bickered over Raki, Miria pondered over how or why bullying can even happen so openly on the second day of school, while Clare was just glad that the commotion was over.

The incident not only made Raki popular with the girls, even the _guys_looked up to him and began to treat him as their 'leader'. The injured boy, Len, was of course more than grateful towards his savior.

The rest of the morning passed rather smoothly. The Year Ones were given a tour of the different Extra Activities (EAs) available in school. It was compulsory for all students to participate in at least one EA, which were conducted after school. The Year Two and Year Three seniors set up booths at various locations to introduce their EAs and Year Ones could sign up there.

Lunch break came after that. Clare managed to sneak out with her lunchbox and headed towards the rooftop, which proved to be a scenic and tranquil place. There were a few pockets of students at different spots already. She chose an empty corner, sat down and started munching on her butter bread. She had no intention of participating in any EAs, considering the fact that she had to work after school. EAs would be a waste of her time. With luck, the teachers would fail to realize. Taking the last mouthful of her bread, she placed her hands on either sides of her and gazed up the sky, admiring the fluffy clouds floating daintily across the azure sky. That almost seemed…beautiful. Yet, she could hardly find peace or joy even while looking at such a beauty of nature.

It took awhile for her to snap out of it and another few moments for her to register the fact that she was alone on the rooftop. Realization hit her and sucked the blood out of her cheeks as she grabbed her lunchbox and sprinted. How could she have missed the bell? She chided herself for getting caught up in her thoughts and hurried towards her classroom, only to find it empty. Confused, she took unsure steps towards her own table. The sight of the books on her table jotted her memory. It was supposed to be Japanese lessons at the Language Lab (L.L.). She vaguely remembered someone mentioning that it was on the fourth floor of the main building and without wasting anymore time, she snatched her books and headed for the fourth floor as fast as her legs could take her.

Racing up the stairs, she took two steps at a time, panting but not daring to slow down. She finally reached the fourth floor and turned left. In the midst of hurrying as she turned at the corner, she was oblivious to another student turning the corner at the same time. She felt herself crash into someone, recoiling and then falling, her back making hard contact with the floor. Wincing, Clare struggled to sit up and glanced over at the student she bumped into, who was somehow still standing unharmed.

Then their eyes met.

Suddenly, Clare felt a wave of familiarity overwhelm her, as if she knew this person all her life. Time seemed to stand still as they looked into each other's eyes. Clare saw those black eyes that sparkled, those black eyes filled with life, yet beneath them…the unmistakable tinge of sadness. At the same time, she has this inexplicable yearn to embrace this person, to comfort her, and to feel comforted. She felt like she could stare into those eyes for eternity…

"Teresa! Are you okay!"

A voice caught the student's attention and she broke the eye contact. Clare snapped out of her thoughts and the graveness of the situation hit her hard.

_Teresa__…__Her __name __was__ Teresa_. It meant something, but she did not know what. Clare waited for something to click in her mind but nothing happened. She observed the one called Teresa carefully. Her long black wavy hair matched her black eye, and despite the incident a hint of a faint smile hung at her lips. The three badges of a Year Three were pinned neatly at her right collar. The senior that called out to her rushed to her side, her long straight hair flying up and down.

"My my, you really should be careful of who you get into trouble with…or knock into, in this case."

Yet another two seniors appeared at Teresa's side, the one with short wavy hair that spoke and another with short spiky hair.

Still sitting awkwardly on the floor, Clare bit her lip and muttered an apology, all the while keeping her eyes on Teresa.

"Are you hurt anywhere?"

"Irene, I'm fine, seriously, there's hardly a scratch on me."

The senior with short wavy hair strolled over to Clare and bent down towards her, lifting Clare's chin with one finger.

"An apology isn't gonna help sweetheart. There'll be hell to pay for…"

"Knock it off Sophia."

The senior called Sophia turned her head in disagreement.

"But Teresa she…"

"Just leave her alone. I'm fine."

Creasing her brows, Sophia turned back to face Clare and gave a creepy smile, bending her face forward to whisper in Clare's ear.

"Careful now. Might not be so lucky next time."

Then she stood up and returned to Irene's side.

Teresa took a last glance at Clare and sauntered off, the other three following behind, leaving Clare on the floor, too paralyzed to move. It took awhile for her to get herself together. She picked up her books, got up and started sprinting towards the L.L., ignoring the stares as she ran past the Year Three classrooms. All the while, her mind was only filled with the thought of one person.

Teresa.

* * *

><p>Once again, critics and comments are appreciated ^^ Not really a supporter of ClarexRaki actually... anyway, thanks for reading! (:<p> 


	3. Chapter 3

Thanks very much for the kind reviews (:

Here's Chapter 3 (:

Disclaimer: I don't own Claymore

* * *

><p>"Where in the world did you fly to Clare! Man, Deneve and I were almost worried for you, while Miria was literally in tears!" Helen whispered not-so-quietly and grinned cheekily at Miria, while Clare settled down in her seat without a word.<p>

"Did you have a fall?"

Clare followed Miria's line of vision and ended up looking at a tiny abrasion on her own right calf, something that she had failed to notice.

_She's…real observant._

"I…I bumped into someone."

Miria lifted her brows, as if suspecting that there was more to it.

"Well, at least you're okay. Though I hope you didn't bump into any bullies or worse still…that particular Year Three senior."

"What Year Three senior? Is she scary? Is she like the boss of the bullies and the leader of the fiercest gangs in school? Tell me Miria tell me!" Helen was a tad bit too loud, earning a stern look from their teacher.

"I believe…her name is Teresa of the Faint Smile."

Helen looked at Deneve in disbelief. "Deneve you _knew_ and you never told me? Meanie!"

"I told you to listen when Miria speaks didn't I? Apparently that brain of yours fails to process things that you hear."

"Oh come on, I was probably in the toilet when both of you talked about this!"

" 'of the Faint Smile'….?"

Ignoring the other two, Miria responded to Clare's question.

"In our school, every student, seniors and juniors alike, are given a title by the Year Three seniors after a week in school. It's a 'tradition' of the school, or rather, one of the ways the Year Three seniors exercise their superiority and reign over the juniors. It can sound nice like Teresa's, or it can be nasty…"

_Actually,__ I__ was __wondering_ why_ she__ was__ given__ that__ title__…_ Clare decided to keep that question to herself.

"Back to the main point… It isn't exactly Teresa herself that is scary, her 'followers' are the ones that we should beware of. As you all know, Year Two and Year Three seniors start school two weeks before us. Teresa is a transfer student, so this is her first year in this school, and apparently within a week, all the guys _and_ the girls are after her, so she pretty much has a whole load of 'followers', and some of them are not exactly what I call 'gentle'. A particular rumour says that a Year Two accidentally spilled coffee onto Teresa's shirt in the canteen, and the next day her seat was vandalized, and till this day she has been taunted and harassed constantly… Though surprisingly, there aren't any rumours about Teresa herself being mean." Deneve continued for Miria.

"Wow Deneve…I swear, you and Miria must be working together on some top-secret research project on our school! How could you leave me out on this? I thought we were buddies!"

"It would be our misfortune to include you in _anything._ Anyway, that was just stuff that we heard around school… Something which, as I have emphasized, you sadly fail to do so."

"Alright alright that is enough, we really should be listening to the lesson now."

Helen stuck out a tongue at Deneve and then faced the front. Deneve did the same

But Clare could hardly concentrate.

* * *

><p>"Here's your 100 Yen change. Thank you and have a nice day."<p>

Clare turned away from the cashier counter and continued her Japanese homework on the adjacent table. There was not much, but she just did not feel like doing it. She leaned on the backrest of the chair and turned her head to glance at a random item on the racks in the shop, then her eyes darted towards the man with blonde hair restocking the Calbee snacks.

The shop was called 'Sweet Home', which had completely no link whatsoever to a convenience shop. The owner was Joshua, the twenty-three-year-old man, who was also Clare's neighbour. Joshua had been a great friend to Grandpa Seth and Grandma Erika when they were still alive. After they passed away, Joshua, being fully aware of Clare's financial situation, had offered her this job.

Clare knew that he did it out of friendship, and perhaps sympathy, so she was always silently grateful towards him. After all, it was a small shop and one person would suffice. The pay was arguable enough for food and bills and nothing else, but then again, not many places offered an afternoon to night job to a thirteen-year-old girl. Besides, the shop was situated just across the road from Clare's house.

Whenever she was on duty, Clare would be the cashier while Joshua would do restocking, accounting, or go dating with his girlfriends.

"Finally done!"

Joshua stood up, stretching his back, relief written all over his face.

"I'll be going then, can't let Riful wait for me. After all, a man can't let a lady wait, right? He sure can't!" He flashed his goofy smile.

"So remember to lock up properly yeah? And yes, the security camera is down but I'll get it fixed by tomorrow, so don't you worry! Alright, see ya~!"

With that, he skipped out of the shop gleefully, the bells on the door knob ringing behind him. Joshua was a tall and dashing man with a friendly personality. Unfortunately, he seemed to be picking all the wrong ladies and had been changing girlfriends on a weekly basis. The week before was Luciela, the last week was Agatha, and this week Riful. Hopefully this time he had paired up with a nice lady.

Letting out a sigh, Clare glanced up at the wall clock. Fifteen minutes to eight. Another three hours and fifteen minutes to the end of work. Not that she minded, though. There were few customers at night, and she relished the time alone, in the silence of the night, with only the whirr of the fan to accompany her. In addition, it allowed her to immerse in her own thoughts, such as her purpose in life.

_Why…why do I even bother to continue living? Is there even meaning in any of this? Ever since Grandpa and Grandma died… Even before that. There's no sense of direction at all…_

Then there was the senior whom she bumped into this morning.

_She__ looked __so __familiar. __Yet __I__ am __clueless__ as __to __who __she __is.__ There__ was__ that __weird __feeling __when __I __looked__ into__ her __eyes__… __Have__ I__ seen __her__ somewhere __before? __I__ really__ don__'__t __know__…_

She looked through the transparent door and gazed at the road outside the shop, with cars passing by occasionally, then turned back to table with her homework, only to hear the door bells ringing a few moments later. That was the signal for her to stand at the cashier counter and wait patiently to serve a potential customer. A trio of male students entered the shop, heading straight towards the counter. Clare could not recognize their uniform, but assumed that they were middle high school students.

The 'leader' of the group stopped just right in front of Clare, with only the counter to separate them. He towered over Clare and the other two stood by either of his sides.

"Money in the cashier box, girl. We can do this the easy way or the hard way."

His lackeys sniggered and started cracking their knuckles.

"Sir, there are security cameras."

"There _is_, you mean, seeing as there's only a pathetic one, which is obviously out of order. Gosh, just look at the black screen above you. We've been observing it for days. The owner is a total block head. And you are one too if you refuse to hand over the money nicely."

Clare mentally rolled her eyes at Joshua. It was not dealing with these punks that she was worried about, she just refused to create a scene, not even when they were alone in the shop.

The guy roughly grabbed Clare's right wrist, clearly demanding to be obeyed.

"So, make your decision girl."

What they were unaware of was Clare's Akido background…

_Things can't be helped I supposed…I hope I don't fracture his wrist…_

Just as Clare was about to retaliate, the door bells rang, alerting the trio as they spun around in alarm, only to relax at who they saw.

"A group of guys bullying a girl…shame on you all."

Hearing the familiar voice, Clare frowned, trying to recall who it belonged to. She tilted sideways to glimpse at the newcomer and her eyes widened in shock. It was the senior called Teresa. She was dressed in home clothes, her black wavy hair was damp and she had a faint smile on.

The 'leader' was the first to react.

"We were just using…gentle means to get money. Anyway, not that _you_ can do anything about it, eh?" He grinned sinisterly.

"Besides…a beauty like you could serve other purposes.."

He looked creepily at Teresa, who was unperturbed.

"Let go of her hand."

"What? My ears don't seem to be hearing properly. Or maybe you're just too soft, sugar."

"Let Go Of Her Hand. _Now_."

This time, her voice was filled with threat, emphasizing on every word. The atmosphere suddenly became very tense.

"Oh sure boss, sure thing…"

Clare let out a small yelp as the grip tightened on her wrist. That reaction was largely due to surprise than pain, but that was enough to let all hell loose.

The next few moments were a blur. Within a split second, a forceful punch sent the two sidekicks flying to either sides of the shop, their body knocking hard against the shelf. Wincing in pain, their hands covered their faces protectively as the items from the shelf starting raining onto them. All the while, Teresa was smiling and kept her eyes on the 'leader', and suddenly she gripped his wrist that was holding on to Clare, increasing her hold with each second. The guy howled and finally released the grip on Clare, only to be elbowed in the stomach, causing him to crumple to the ground.

Awe-struck by the turn of events, Clare only stood there, too hypnotized to do anything.

"Scram. Now."

The sidekicks hurried over to help their 'leader' up and scrambled out of the shop soon enough.

There was a moment of awkward silence before Teresa turned her head to face Clare, their eyes meeting fleetingly for the first time since she stepped into the shop. Once again, Clare felt the warming feeling of familiarity, but this time, concern and relief too. Before she could utter anything, Teresa pouted awkwardly, randomly took a pack of seaweed from the rack beside her, whipped a couple of coins from her pocket, dropped them on the counter and sauntered out of the shop.

Just like that.

Clare would later count the coins and realize that it was the exact amount, much to her surprise.

* * *

><p>Critics and comments are appreciated ^^ Thanks for reading!<p> 


	4. Chapter 4

Firstly, thank you to all who reviewed and story-alerted (: it's really encouraging! And secondly, sorry for the late update, my inspiration for this fanfic is fading ._. in any case, thanks for reading! and happy new year to all! :D

Disclaimer: Claymore is not mine

Chapter 4: Drama Society

* * *

><p>Even till the next day, the events that happened previously were still fresh in Clare's memory, playing in her mind over and over again like a broken record. Why was Teresa so good at fighting? Clare did not even get the chance to thank her. And why was she there at that time? Why did she bother to help her anyway?<p>

"..lare. Dude, Clare! This is like the fifth time I'm calling you for goodness sake!"

Finally snapping out of her deep thought, Clare looked towards Helen questioningly.

"Finally, some attention here! I know Raki is really cute to dream about, but Isley-sensei demands attention! He wants to see you outside the classroom. What did you do anyway? Never knew you were the type to get into trouble!"

Clare stood up and started towards to the door, strolling past the rows of chattering classmates. She opened the door to find Isley-sensei waiting for her, his hand supporting his laptop and books at his side. Quietly, she closed the door and stepped towards him.

"Isley-sensei."

This particular person was the homeroom teacher of Clare's class. The most distinctive features of him were his long snow-white hair and his _unique_ sense of fashion, which includes wearing suits and tuxedos to school, a different one for each day of the week, and wearing spectacles with matching colour to the suit. While his group of fan girls squeal and blush at the mere sight of him, the boys scoff at his hairstyle, though that was largely due to the fact that they were jealous of him.

Not that Clare had any opinions of him though. She overheard everything from the conversations of her other three classmates. At least, during the times she was physically with them and actually paying attention.

Today, Isley-sensei had donned a sky-blue suit and wore navy-blue half-rimmed spectacles.

"Yes, Clare-san. I need to talk to you regarding the Extra Activities."

He pushed up his spectacles using his free hand before continuing.

"It has come to my attention that you have yet to sign up for any EAs, which also means you are currently not assigned to any…"

Tensing up initially, Clare was just absolutely stunned after hearing what he said, though any trace of emotion she had did not register on her face.

"…And it would be greatly appreciated if we could settle it right here."

_Registration was only yesterday, and today he knows that I failed to sign up for anything? Even if the Year One population is small… what kind of superhuman efficient system do they have?_

"Sensei, I don't have time for EAs. I need to work. Or starve."

"Yes…indeed, you are the one with the family problems aren't you…"

His face scrunched up and his eyes darted sideways, clearly contemplating the situation.

"Alright, I can't allow you to not participate in anything, so here's the compromise. The only EAs that are conducted only once a week are Drama Society and Dance Society. The latter tends to hold many extra practice sessions as they participate in various inter-school competitions throughout the year. Drama Society, on the other hand, is a new Extra Activity that started this year, and the intake is very small. Extra sessions will only be held when needed. Sometimes the sessions once a week will even be made optional. So, it's pretty clear which one of them is the better option, eh?"

"…That doesn't leave me with much of a choice, does it?"

"You see, all I'm asking is, you give a try for at least a month. If it is simply too time-consuming for you, I'll see to it that you are taken off the EA and I'll grant you special permission to not participate in EAs. Have we come to an agreement?"

Appearing to take Clare's silence as consent, he gave Clare a smile, though the supposed gesture failed to reach his eyes.

"Then it's settled. Sessions are held at the Drama Room every Wednesday from 2.45 p.m. to 5.00 p.m. , which also means that today will be the first session for Year Ones. The results of the posting of EAs will be passed down to each Year One class before the break so everyone will know their allocated EAs. By the way, I'm the teacher-in-charge of the Drama Society, so do approach me if you have any problems. That will be all."

_Today? Just my luck…I need to tell Joshua that I will be late for work…How am I supposed to contact him when I don't have a handphone? …Sigh, I'll just have to explain it to him after that._

Isley-sensei turned to walk in the other direction, but suddenly turned back to face Clare again.

"It will be nice to have you on our side, Clare-san."

With that, he strolled off in the other direction.

Clare sensed that there was an implied meaning but failed to comprehend it. Nevertheless, the tone of voice Isley-sensei used in his last sentence sent chills up her spine.

* * *

><p>Staring straight at the two words "Drama Room" on the door in front of her, Clare almost smacked herself for missing it the first time she walked past the third floor of the main building. She had first checked out the whole main building, and even traversed the extension block, but to no avail. After deciding to search the main building again, she finally found it. She could have asked someone for directions, however she was too shy, or rather too stubborn to approach anyone for help. The fact that the Drama Room was just one floor above her classroom did not add any satisfaction to her "accomplishment".<p>

Without a doubt, she was definitely late. That was not going to leave a good impression on her peers and seniors. Not that Clare cared much about that. She just wanted to go in, get the session over and done and rush to work. In fact, maybe they would kick her out for being late and that would solve the problem of the EAs once and for all.

"Well, here it goes…"

As she reached for the door knob, a rush of wind hit her as the door flung open inwards and a figure stood in front of her. Looking up, her heart flipped when the saw the senior with black wavy hair. It was her. Teresa. She seemed equally shocked to see Clare. Clare gazed into those dark loving eyes…

_Loving? What is wrong with me? What is this feeling I'm getting?_

It was Teresa who regained her composure first and a faint smile crept up her lips as she lifted an eyebrow.

"So you're the new addition Isley-sensei was talking about. Quite a cheeky one to be late on your first session, eh?"

Clare just assumed her neutral expression, trying hard to will her heartbeat to slow down.

"But whatever, it's not like you're that late. Just come in, we're just getting started."

Clare felt herself being literally dragged into the room by Teresa and she pulled her in by the arm. She took a quick glance around the room which was the size of a normal classroom, with a raised platform on one side of the classroom and a whiteboard on the other. There were only a few tables beside the whiteboard. Teresa came to an abrupt stop and released Clare's arm. Clare saw a cluttered group of students sitting on the floor cross-legged. All heads looked up and all eyes fell on her. She could not help but cringe inwardly, still fighting to keep a neutral front.

A hand clasped down on her shoulder and Clare flinched slightly.

"So guys, I assumed she is our last new member to Drama Society and if she is, her name is Clare. Please welcome her."

Now standing beside her, Teresa turned away from the group to face her.

"Anyway, everyone has just finished introducing themselves, so now it's your turn."

Not knowing what to say, Clare stared blankly at the many students eyeing her with interest. This was not going as well as she thought it would.

"…My name is Clare. I'm from Class 1-2."

There was a moment of silence before everyone realized that that was pretty much all they were going to get from the new member. A round of applause erupted and ended just as quickly.

"Alright, now you can join the rest and sit down."

On Teresa's call, Clare shuffled towards the back of the group and sat down alone. She saw the weird expression that Teresa shot her but dismissed it when a smile reappeared on her face as she crossed her arms.

"I officially welcome each and every one of you to Drama Society. There was overwhelming response during the sign up of this EA, and I congratulate all of you here for succeeding in getting your choice. As you might already know, I started this EA this year and I hope to bring it to greater heights. Do not worry even if you have no experience at drama or acting. We're all new here, after all."

"There are seven members each from each Year, so in total there are twenty-one members. Since we are such a small group, I hope all of you will get along well with one another."

Teresa shook her head gently until her waves of hair settled into a satisfactory place before continuing. In that few seconds, whispers and giggles were heard from the two female students sitting in front of Clare.

"Oh my gosh, I can't believe I actually got in! And Teresa-senpai-she is so cool!"

"Way cool! She's my idol!"

Clare just blinked innocently.

"Anyway, there is a Drama Night in school scheduled to be held next Sunday. I know time is tight but let's work together to put up a good performance. But firstly, we have to settle some housekeeping matters. Now we shall start deciding on the committee members…."

Soon that was done and they started brainstorming ideas for the Drama Night. They had decided on the theme "Medieval", and the idea of the Twin Goddesses of Love popped out at some point in the discussion and everyone agreed on using that for the main act. They even managed to come up with a decent and tragic plot for that story. The members were then split into three groups, each in-charge of acting, script writing and props respectively.

* * *

><p>"Today has been surprisingly productive and I thank everyone for the enthusiasm. This week's session will end here but before you leave, please fill in your particulars on that list on the table. Be prepared to be called for extra practices during break time and after school this week and next week. That is all."<p>

Words of "thanks" and "good job" were shouted across the room and everyone proceeded to fill in the list. Clare ended up last in the line, reason being she had been too caught up in staring at Teresa, trying to figure out who exactly she was.

She felt a tap on her left shoulder and tilted her head to find a familiar face smiling shyly at her.

"Hello Clare, I'm Len. Do you remember me? We're the only ones from our class in Drama Society. And…it's nice meeting you."

With that, the boy blushed slightly and ran out of the room.

_Len…Oh, he's the one who was bullied the other day…_

When it was finally her turn, the room was silent other than the clashing of glass. Looking over her back, she realized that she was the only one who was left in the room with Teresa, who was busy shutting the window panes. She tried to focus on the list. Her name, class, date of birth…Telephone number? Email address? How was she going to fill in those details that were non-existent for her?

She took a peek behind to see Teresa putting her hands on her hips, a satisfied expression blossoming on her face. She caught Clare's gaze and a hint of amusement flashed across her face.

"Yeah?"

"…I…I don't have a handphone or computer."

Teresa frowned, then understanding flooded her face. Reaching for her sling bag at the side of the room, she rummaged through it before pulling out a white object. She flipped it open, fiddled with some buttons and tossed it over to Clare.

Though caught off guard, Clare's quick reflexes made up for it as she grabbed the object in midair. Closer inspection had her concluding that it was a white handphone with pink strap. Even so, that hardly helped her grasp what was going on. Not forgetting, Teresa was _very_ bold to throw her phone to someone who was clearly unaware that she was going to do so. She looked up to Teresa who was already holding another similar, or rather identical phone, seemingly checking something before snapping it shut. Hers had a black strap attached to it.

Teresa appeared to have sensed Clare's confusion.

"I happen to have an extra phone, so you can use that for now. The number is saved under 'Me' in the contact list."

"What? But…"

"Relax, I'm just lending it to you temporarily. I need to be able to contact every member in case of any extra practices and also to pass down information. It's not like I'm doing it _specially_ for you or anything."

Clare had no idea why Teresa averted her gaze and pouted at that last sentence.

"Thank you…Teresa-senpai."

The senior beamed. "Just call me Teresa."

"And…another thing is, I can't go for practices after school. I…need to work."

_Damn, why do I get so nervous when I talk to her?_

"So that's what you were doing at that shop yesterday…I have heard about your situation from Isley-sensei. Well, tell you what, just send me a message on how much you are paid per hour, and I'll pay you back for the time you spend at practices. Anyway, it's getting late, and I suppose you have work? Better get going."

Clare wanted to protest against that plan, but Teresa was spot on. She had to leave already. Picking up her bag, she planned to scurry towards the door, but mustered her courage and turned around to face Teresa again.

"Thank you…for yesterday."

Then she scrambled out of the Drama Room before Teresa could reply.


	5. Chapter 5

Hello all! Haven't updated this in more than a year... Just wanted to say that this story will definitely be continued, but the next update will probably be at december, since I have major exams this year end. And also, thanks to all who have read and supported in one way or another (:

Disclaimer: I don't own Claymore.

* * *

><p>Having never owned a phone in her entire life, Clare had to admit that she was intrigued by this contraption. Her grandparents never owned one either, which explains why she had zero knowledge on how to operate it. After fiddling with it the entire night, she had at long last figured how to make a call, send a message and take a photograph. There were no images under the 'Image' folder, and she had yet to discover where the music player was. This just made her more puzzled as to why Teresa would have two phones. Also, she had inadvertently started flipping her phone open and shut when she was alone and thinking. It was somewhat...calming.<p>

That very same night she got the phone, it had vibrated suddenly while she was doing her homework, beeping with a tune she had never heard of. Startled, her head jerked towards at the phone on her table, a picture of an envelope appearing on the tiny screen on the cover of the phone.

_Better make sure I find out how to make it not ring like that while I'm in class… _

Reaching to grab it, she flipped the cover open and was greeted with a '1 New Message' on the main screen. She had no idea how to navigate it though. Examining the keys on the bottom half of the phone, she chose the square button at the top, hoping that it'll work.

And it did. The screen processed her command and opened up another page containing the sender's number and the message:

_Hey my fellow DC members! Teresa here, just checking that your numbers are correct. Drop me a reply to confirm your identity! Thanks all see ya all soon (:_

Somehow, Clare could not put the image of this friendly Drama Club President and the one who beat three guys into a pulp two days ago together, even though they were undoubtedly the same person. Feeling no need to reply considering this is Teresa's phone anyway, she shut it and went back to her work.

Yet the next morning before class, her phone had started chirping nosily, though it was fortunate that everyone was just chattering and masked the sound mostly.

_Damn, forgot to silence it, or rather forgot to find a way to do so…_

Swiftly she took the phone out of the small compartment in the bag and checked it, only to find that it was from Teresa again. This time, it was not a mass text like before.

_Clare right? Young lady, please reply when I say reply in the future, I need to know that all my members are getting my mes-_

Abruptly the phone was pulled out of her grip and she was suddenly holding onto the empty air.

"Woah Clare you have a phone? It looks pretty sleek too!"

A gleeful Helen was standing by her table and checking out the phone as if it was the latest invention in town. A tinge of annoyance crept in Clare and she stood to snatch the phone back. Her playful classmate was still grinning cheekily.

"How come you never exchanged numbers with us! Damn I'm so hurt now!" Helen feigned a stab to her heart and clutched her chest with an expression of mock pain on her face.

"Seriously, why are you not in the Drama Club…" Deneve shook her head.

"Hey it's not like I didn't try alright! But they're sooo choosy! I mean seriously, accepting only 6 people out of the entire Year Ones! I probably have better chances waiting for an apple to fall off a tree! Though I bet they are all mourning at the loss of a potential talent like me right now! Hah serves them right!"

"I'm sure they are Helen…though they are probably giving thanks to their gods that a baboon like you didn't get in."

"What the hell did you just call me! You know what, I'm just gonna kick your butt at Badminton practice tomorrow and make _you_ the baboon!"

"So you do admit that for now, you're the baboon? Thanks Helen, that makes things much clearer for everyone."

Helen sulked and looked like she was ready to pounce on Deneve.

"The day a peaceful morning happens is when the sun sets in the east…" Miria sighed deeply before turning to Clare.

"You had better put your phone to silent mode though, wouldn't want it to get confiscated right."

_Silent mode…What the hell is that?_

Clare must have given a blank look that was picked up by her perceptive classmate.

"I suppose you must be new to the phone. Come on let me show you how to do it. Just go to the menu and then...There, it's done. Speaking of badminton, I am just reminded of seeing your EA on the list… I didn't think you were interested in theatrics. I'm thinking it isn't your first choice?" Miria queried.

"… I didn't choose any EA. Easley-sensei just decided to put me in one of the less commitment-heavy ones. So I ended up in Drama."

"I see… Well, just be careful alright?"

"Be careful of what?"

"Be careful of…Teresa."

_Teresa?_

Miria locked her fingers together absent-mindedly, placing both elbows on Clare's desk. "Yeah, I just have a strange feeling about her. Coupled with all that talk and fame about her, she just seems like a pretty dangerous character. Just… take caution yeah?"

Clare stared at her classmate who was now lost in thoughts. She did not understand what Miria meant, but it just made her more baffled about Teresa altogether.

* * *

><p>Instead of heading to work after school, Clare found herself in the Drama Room with six other members of the script-writing committee at fifteen minutes to five. They have all been called back for extra EA session to discuss the plot of their play. School ends at 4.30pm everyday except for Wednesdays, which ends at 2.15pm. After a long Thursday of school, it took some effort to drag their tired selves to EA, but everyone still turned up on time. Seated on in the circle on the floor, everyone's eyes darted around nervously since they were still not exactly familiar with each other. Len, the classmate who introduced himself yesterday was also in the same committee, and was seated cross legged beside her. His yellow wind-blown frinch lay messily on his forehead while he looked to the ground silently. The assigned IC, a Year Three called Galatea, decided to start the ball rolling.

"Right guys, hope you all know that we're in the script-writing committee. We kinda need to get the plot and first draft of the script out as soon as possible so that the actors have something to work with, and since time is so tight. Well, I'm pretty sure someone mentioned the idea of the Twin Goddesses of the Love yesterday, does anyone know the exact legend? Care to share?"

There was silence for awhile before a Year Two hesitantly raised her hand to answer. "May I…?"

Galatea waved her hand to dismiss that polite action. "Come on guys, though we're not exactly the best of friends, or at least not yet, can we just spare each other the ceremony and just shoot what's on our mind? If not we're gonna be here the whole day and stare at each other's face until the Goddesses literally appear and do a catwalk for us…"

Despite the randomness, that managed to crack a genuine smile on everyone's faces and break the awkward atmosphere. The students all began to loosen up slightly. It spurred the Year Two on too, as she spoke with more confidence:

"I think there are many versions of it, but this is what I heard. The two Goddesses are Teresa and Clare. In the medieval times, there was a warrior called Teresa who fought monsters that preyed on humans. On the surface, she was just blood-thirsty monster slayer. She met and saved a girl called Clare, who saw the pain hidden in Teresa and decided the follow her. Through their journey, little Clare managed to melt down that cold and emotionless exterior to reach into the warm and loving Teresa within. However, Teresa sacrificed herself saving Clare during a fatal encounter, and Clare swore take on Teresa's will of fighting against the monsters and keeping peace. She managed to protect countless number of villages. After Clare's death, the villagers built a statue in memory of them and dubbed them 'The Twin Goddesses of Love'."

The rest listened in awe. The idea seemed interesting enough, and with some modifications it might just turn out to be a decent play. Excitement rose as everyone got into the heat of the discussion. Ideas upon ideas were thrown in and the details of the plot were developed nicely, with Galatea furiously scribbling down minutes of the discussion. Clare however was mostly just listening intently to the development of the story. Despite not wanting to have anything to do with Drama Club and dreading this initially, she could not help but be intrigued by the story plot. After all, it featured someone bearing her own name, and another called Teresa.

_Teresa. Right…_

An image of that senior appeared in her mind unconsciously, something that had been recurring ever since the first time they met. It was a weird, unnerving feeling, because she could not put a finger on what it meant or how she felt. She was never good at this emotions stuff, after all. But she decided that whatever made her uncomfortable should be a bad feeling, and promptly decided to push the thought away. Yet, the past few days had really been fate bringing them together…

"…Clare. Hey ho, you there?"

Snapping back to the now and here, Clare spotted Galatea eyeing her questioningly, her elbow resting on her knee and propping her head up. Her silver hair streamed way past her shoulders and her piercing eyes were locked with Clare's.

"You look like you just came out of a trance…everything okay? And well you've have been pretty quiet this whole time. Any thoughts on how to proceed? We're kinda at a stalemate thinking of how Teresa was killed." She asked as-matter-of-factly.

Looking around, it came to her realization that the rest had become very restless, probably due to the mental block and unable to conjure something to continue. It was only Galatea staring at Clare, but it was enough to make Clare shift uneasily.

"I mean, I suppose you know how the actual story goes, considering the fact that you are_ Clare_, you know like one of the Goddesses, so some holy enlightenment from you maybe?"

Initially, Clare had thought the senior was mocking her, but she noticed the twinkling eyes and teasing smile and concluded that it was pretty much just Galatea joking with her. And it was true that she had yet to say anything from the start, though there had been an idea sprouting in her mind.

"Well…maybe Teresa was, you know, battling this particularly tough monster to protect Clare, and right before killing it, the monster tried to beg for mercy, and out of sympathy, Teresa kind of just…let down her guard for a moment, and then the monster just took the chance to…"

It was not exactly easy for Clare to communicate her idea, but she saw the glimmer in Galatea's eyes as they widened with awe. Everyone else seemed to be 'enlightened' too.

"Hey that's not a bad idea!"

"Teresa was probably feeling compassionate because she had spent time with Clare…"

"Clare would get very emotional after seeing her guardian in such a state…"

"Oh my gosh that totally does it! Our plot's gonna rock!"

And the buzzing continued with the members getting excited yet again.

"That was good thinking Clare."

She turned her head towards the boy who just spoke, greeted by a wide-eyed smile from him. Clare merely nodded to Len in acknowledgement.

After a quick conclusion, at long last the session came to an end. It seemed to have bonded the members a little, as they all felt more relaxed in the presence of one another.

"Alright you guys were amazing today, great job! I'll type it up and send it to Teresa. From the looks of it I think we're gonna blow the audience away with what we came up with!" Galatea beamed and stood up, stretching her arms and legs.

"And well, looks like time flies when you're in good company, it's almost seven already. It's fine time everyone gets home and takes a good rest. Good job again guys, see you all soon!"

With that dismissal, everyone started getting up lazily and getting ready to go off. It was finally over, and to tell the truth it was not as dreadful as Clare imagined it would be. Time had passed relatively quickly. And it had ended earlier than expected, which was good since she could still turn up for a couple of hours of work. She promptly picked up her bag and was about to leave when an outstretched hand with a small glass bottle blocked her way. Inside the bottle were tiny cylindrical-like sweets with colourful patterns. She traced up to identify the person as Len.

"These are Stickies, they are like hard candy. The ones I have are special though, with some filling in the centre. Try some?"

Len was facing her with hopeful smiling eyes, almost as if he was waiting to be fed or something.

"Erm, it's alright, thank you. I don't really like candy." Well, Clare really did not fancy candy much, but was in actuality just using it as an excuse.

"Oh. Oh okay…"

Disappointment washed over his face in seconds. Both his head and hand drooped slightly, clearly having not taken the rejection well. As much as Clare could not be bothered with him, the annoying conscience in her nudged her to be nicer.

_What's with this guy… Guess it doesn't harm to just humour him, maybe then he'll leave me alone…_

Clare reached for the mountain of candies and chose an orange striped one with a flower pattern on the round face and popped it into her mouth. A sweet, weird taste filled her taste buds. She guessed she was just not used to sweets, or perhaps just not used to the luxury of it. They were just over-priced sugary treats, catered for momentarily pleasure and not for filling the stomach. She rubbed her right thumb and forefinger absent-mindedly, the surfaces sticky from the contact with the sweet.

Len on the other hand seemed to have cheered up instantly. "Nice isn't it! See you tomorrow Clare!" And with that he waved and skidded out of the Drama Room.

Little did Clare know, that one action planted the seed of trouble for her in the near future…

* * *

><p>"So this Drama Club thing is just time-consuming pain eh?"<p>

Joshua busied himself with cleaning non-existent dust on the racks, while Clare did her homework at the table beside the counter as usual. Yet again, she has missed a few hours of work because of the EA. Admittedly it was time-consuming, and no doubt things would just get busier and end later as the days drew nearer to Drama Night. But she would not exactly consider it a pain. After all, today's session had been surprisingly alright, even though it made her feel more tired than usual.

"It'll only be for this week and next week. After that I'll just tell my sensei to let me off the hook." Though, it was frustrating to have many hours worth of pay less because of it. Seemed like she had to eat less again.

_Just a little bit more than a week, then I can get out of this mess I suppose._

"Well, better not work yourself too hard yeah kiddo? Juggling Middle School curriculum and work is tough enough even without that EA thing. Just tell me if you need a break."

Despite everything, that brought a slight smile to Clare. As aloof and clumsy as Joshua was, he really cared about Clare and her well-being, albeit in his own subtle ways.

"Anyway, I totally want to kiss and thank the heavens, Riful is just this totally gorgeous and amazing woma…"

His sentence was interrupted by the sound of the door bells as he paused to shout a 'Welcome' instead. On cue, Clare just lifted herself from the chair and stood at the cashier counter. Her brain was still figuring out a math question and it took her awhile to register that the customer was…Teresa. Her eyes widened, feeling her heart skip a beat.

_What's she doing here again?_

Just like the day before, she was dressed in casual clothes, though this time she had long running pants and a towel draping on her left shoulder. Tiny beads of sweat covered her forehead and her cheeks flushed a pale red. Evidently she had been working out, but this late at night?

The senior had begun to browse through the shelves on the side, slowly making her way towards the counter. Clare kept her eyes on her all the way until Teresa stood right in front of her, her tall frame easily towering over Clare.

Her famous faint smile appeared on her lips as she put her right hand on her hips. "Hello, Clare."

Teresa's voice calling her name sounded so…dear. And gentle.

_Urgh, damn all these weird and unwanted feelings._

Hearing someone call Clare's name seemed to have caught Joshua's attention. He spun around to face the customer, holding the wiping cloth awkwardly. His eyes scanned the stranger curiously.

Teresa tilted her head and lifted her eyebrows at him.

"I assume you are the employer of this girl over here?"

"Well yes for the fact of the matter I am. And who might you be?"

"Great. My name is Teresa, I'm the President of the Drama Club that Clare is participating in. I'm aware that Clare has been and will be missing quite a bit of work due to preparation works for our Drama Night, and so I'm just here to find out how much she's paid an hour so that I can pay her back for the time lost. Since she has yet to message me about it."

Teresa shot a feigned angry look to Clare at the last sentence, which mildly amused Clare. However, she wasn't going to allow Teresa to do a ridiculous thing such as paying her back. It wasn't her fault that Clare had to participate in Drama Club and it did not make sense for Teresa to fork out money from her own pocket to pay her. Before she could say anything, Joshua had started speaking:

"Right, so it is _your _Drama Club that is causing her all the trouble… By the way, she doesn't have a phone so she can't message you or anything. I guess it will be good to reimburse this poor child some money, well her pay is-"

"-nothing that you should be concerned with, Teresa-senpai. I will deal with the money problem myself. It doesn't even make sense that you should be the one to pay me back, you're just a student and it's not even your duty or your fault. I'm fine on my own." Clare managed to cut in before Joshua revealed the vital information.

A hint of amusement flashed across Teresa's face.

"Well, as the President, I need to look after the welfare of my members right? And it seems like you have financial problems don't you, so in a sense I am just fulfilling my duty. Cut yourself some slack girl, it's probably hard enough that you have to juggle school, EA and work at the same time. I'm just trying to help out."

But Clare was stubbornly independent. Or at least, she wanted to be. She wanted to be able to fend for herself and rely on her own means to survive. Relying on others was a weakness. It made her a liability. And she did not want that.

"I said I'm fine. I don't need your help. Whether I get enough money or not is my business. I appreciate the thought, but I can manage on my own."

Teresa narrowed her eyes, then gave out a sigh of defeat. "Alright alright… Just tell me when you need help yeah. Don't be too hard on yourself."

_That sounded familiar… She's like a second Joshua._

"Anyway, I read the draft story plot that Galatea submitted, and I must say that you guys did a pretty decent job of coming up with it. And I heard you contributed a pretty important part too. Not bad eh, I thought you would be practically mute for the whole discussion or something. Looking forward to the script next!"

A warm feeling rushed to Clare's cheeks and her heart hammered hard. Was she…blushing?

Before she could assess what she was feeling, Teresa was already turning around and heading for the exit. Just before stepping out, she turned to Joshua and called out:

"By the way you over there, Clare does have a phone now, I lent her mine just yesterday."

Winking sneakily at Clare, she went off into the night.

Letting out the breath she didn't know she was holding, Clare groaned inwardly. She had yet to tell Joshua about the phone. She wasn't sure Joshua would be convinced. After all, it wasn't everyday that a friend simply lent you a phone to use.

"Wait what! Did she just say that she lent you a phone for everyday use? WHAT why didn't you tell me? She's a little too nice to be true isn't it, offering to pay you your work money and even worse, a phone! That justtttt doesn't add up man. Maybe you should be careful of her. Where's the phone now anyway?"

Clare sighed. _That's the second time in a day that someone tells me to beware of Teresa…_

Though she had to admit, Teresa _was_ acting weird. She had been treating Clare way too nice, almost as if she wanted to… get closer to Clare or something. For whatever motive she had.

_Maybe she just does that to all her members…_

_Or perhaps...She feels something strange too?_

* * *

><p>Well that's it for the next few months haha. I wonder if you all find it boring _ it's taking so long to get Clare and Teresa to become closer, because I think it's natural for Clare to feel abit apprehensive since Teresa's intentions are unknown. I myself can't wait and just want them to become as close as sisters like right now _ And there'll definitely be a (hopefully) more interesting story plot coming up when Drama Night approaches (heh), so yup. Anyway thanks for reading (:<p> 


End file.
